]]>Richard Jameshttp://www.buzzfeed.com/richardhjames/this-blind-jack-russell-has-his-own-guide-dog-and-the-insepaMon, 22 Jun 2015 19:36:09 -0400Meet best friends Glenn and Buzz. The inseparable pair were rescued from a sea tunnel in Hartlepool.richardhjamesnonadultGreat news - Buzz and Glenn have now found a new home in Worcestershire.
They have been re-homed by Peter and Helen Brown, who live in Broadway, ITV News <a href="http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2015-07-10/abandoned-blind-dog-and-his-own-guide-dog-find-new-home/">reported</a>.
Original story below.nonadultnonadultnonadultStray Aid said Buzz, 9, acts as a guide dog for Glenn, 10, and the centre wants to rehome the pair together so they can "live out their lives peacefully with as little change as possible".
Sue Bielby <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-33164893">told the BBC</a> the dogs are inseparable and become upset when kept apart.
"Buzz acts as Glenn's eyes and it's as simple as that," she told the broadcaster.nonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultThe Inspirational Story Of A Man And His Blind Cat's Hiking Triphttp://www.buzzfeed.com/krishrach/the-inspiratinal-story-of-a-man-and-his-blind-cats-hiking-tr?utm_term=4ldqpia
Go, Stevie, go!

This is Stevie. Stevie is a blind cat.

Patrick Corr / Imgur

But she gets around just fine!

Patrick Corr/ Imgur

Stevie lives with her owner, Patrick Corr, a filmmaker. He adopted her three years ago after an animal shelter failed to find her a home.

Patrick Corr / Imgur

Corr likes filming Stevie, and has used his profession in the past to highlight the plight of older or disabled cats.

Red Lobster was the favorite going into the competition, although one girl named Quinta had a thing for Outback Steakhouse.

]]>Steven Limhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/stevenlim/which-restaurant-has-the-best-free-breadTue, 09 Jun 2015 03:16:05 -0400<b>8 people are transported to bread heaven for the ultimate bread showdown.</b>stevenlimnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultThis Artist Started Painting Gorgeous Art After He Went Blindhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/juliekliegman/john-bramblitt-art?utm_term=4ldqpia
John Bramblitt uses textures to guide him stroke by stroke.

Art had always been John Bramblitt's creative outlet of choice. When he went blind in his mid-20s due to epileptic seizures, he became depressed.

"I had always used art to deal with problems in my life," Bramblitt, 41, told BuzzFeed News. "I didn’t have it for a year when I needed it most."

John Bramblitt

But being a college student at the time, he felt he had to become self-sufficient — so he started re-learning basic skills like reading, writing, and traveling to class.

John Bramblitt

"If I’m able to leave my apartment and know exactly where I am on the street and not get hit by a car or bump into too many people, surely I could use these same techniques to move across the canvas using raised landmarks," he said.

John Bramblitt

"With a smart dog and a smartphone, you can pretty much do anything," Bramblitt said.

This is a portrait of his guide dog, Echo. When possible, he feels the subject's face to help get a sense of the features he needs to paint.

]]>Julie Kliegmanhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/juliekliegman/john-bramblitt-artWed, 08 Apr 2015 19:06:07 -0400<b>John Bramblitt uses textures to guide him stroke by stroke.</b>juliekliegmannonadult"I had always used art to deal with problems in my life," Bramblitt, 41, told BuzzFeed News. "I didn’t have it for a year when I needed it most."nonadultnonadultnonadultThis is a portrait of his guide dog, Echo. When possible, he feels the subject's face to help get a sense of the features he needs to paint.nonadultOver the years, he's worked on different techniques to master painting, with textures as a guide.
He mixes paint himself so he can control when it will dry, and even choose to use lines that are raised at first, but later flatten.
As for color, Bramblitt mixes his own shades, using paint thinner to change the texture of different colors. He also measures different colors precisely to calculate just how much of each he'd need to make a certain hue. All of his bottles are labeled in Braille.nonadultInstead, he said gets actively excited about the learning opportunity an error presents.nonadult"The art needs to reflect more than just the image of the person," he said.
For example, Bramblitt explains, when someone walks into a room, everybody sees her same features, but internalizes her appearance in a different way, based on individual impressions and experiences.
When he could see, he said he didn't focus enough on capturing the essence of a person beyond physical attributes.nonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadult"When I first started, I didn’t think anyone would ever see anything I painted. The first couple of shows I did, I didn’t tell people I was blind," he said. "It's just a huge blessing to connect with people."
Bramblitt also fields a lot of emails from parents of kids with disabilities. He encourages them as a way of passing on the support he is grateful to have received when he was struggling with his own loss of vision.nonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultA Blind Man Flies A Plane For The First Timehttp://www.buzzfeed.com/keithhabersberger/a-blind-man-flies-a-plane-for-the-first-time?utm_term=4ldqpia
Childhood dreams accomplished.

]]>Keith Habersbergerhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/keithhabersberger/a-blind-man-flies-a-plane-for-the-first-timeSun, 22 Mar 2015 18:01:03 -0400<b>Childhood dreams accomplished.</b>keithhabersbergernonadultThis Video Of A Blind Mother Seeing Her Newborn Son For The First Time Will Warm Your Hearthttp://www.buzzfeed.com/maycie/a-blind-mother-was-able-to-see-her-newborn-son-for-the-first?utm_term=4ldqpia
… And it was love at first sight.

Kathy Beitz is legally blind. But thanks to a technology called eSight, the new mom was able to see her first child just moments after delivery.

Kathy was allowed to borrow the eSight device — wearable electronic glasses that allow the legally blind to actually see — for the day.

This wasn't just the first time Kathy was seeing her baby — it was the first time she was ever seeing any baby in her whole life. "For the first baby that I get to actually look at," Kathy said, "being my own is very overwhelming."

Kathy's sister Yvonne, who uploaded the video to YouTube, told BuzzFeed that Kathy suffers from Stargardt disease, an inherited form of juvenile macular degeneration, and lost her vision as a child.

She was able to admire her son's long toes, which she said look just like his dad's...

And his cute little mouth, which she thought resembled her own.

]]>Maycie Thorntonhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/maycie/a-blind-mother-was-able-to-see-her-newborn-son-for-the-firstSat, 24 Jan 2015 07:16:05 -0500<b>... And it was love at first sight.</b>maycienonadultKathy was allowed to borrow the eSight device — wearable electronic glasses that allow the legally blind to actually see — for the day.nonadultKathy's sister Yvonne, who uploaded the video to YouTube, told BuzzFeed that Kathy suffers from Stargardt disease, an inherited form of juvenile macular degeneration, and lost her vision as a child.nonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultHow A Blind Man Sees With Soundhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/brentbennett/how-a-blind-man-sees-with-sound?utm_term=4ldqpia
Daniel Kish uses flash sonar to see the world around him.

]]>Brent Bennetthttp://www.buzzfeed.com/brentbennett/how-a-blind-man-sees-with-soundSun, 21 Dec 2014 14:31:04 -0500<b>Daniel Kish uses flash sonar to see the world around him.</b>brentbennettnonadultAt Least 24 Patients In India Go Blind After Free Eye Surgeryhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/jasonwells/at-least-24-patients-in-india-go-blind-after-free-eye-surger?utm_term=4ldqpia
The cataract surgeries on the elderly men and women were performed at a free medical camp run by a charity in northern India. It’s the latest mass, botched health care incident in a nation where millions of poor people lack access to even basic care.

An elderly Indian patient who went blind following a cataract surgery, performed at a free medical camp run by a charity, receives treatment at a hospital in Amritsar, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014.

Sanjeev Syal / AP Photo

Those who didn't go blind have reported infections and some are being treated by doctors at a hospital in Amritsar on Friday.

Millions of poor people in India lack access to even basic health care and are forced to seek treatment at free medical clinics set up by charities and other organizations.

Thousands in India get free cataract surgeries every year, the AP reported.

Officials said it was unlikely any of the patients who went blind would regain their sight.

Press Trust of India / AP Photo

Just last month, 13 women died after botched sterilizations at a clinic in the central state of Chhattisgarh after allegedly taking tainted drugs. The doctor who performed the initial surgeries, R.K. Gupta, was arrested late November and charged with attempted culpable homicide and negligence, the Washington Post reported.

]]>Jason Wellshttp://www.buzzfeed.com/jasonwells/at-least-24-patients-in-india-go-blind-after-free-eye-surgerSat, 06 Dec 2014 10:31:04 -0500<b>The cataract surgeries on the elderly men and women were performed at a free medical camp run by a charity in northern India.</b> It's the latest mass, botched health care incident in a nation where millions of poor people lack access to even basic care.jasonwellsnonadultAn elderly Indian patient who went blind following a cataract surgery, performed at a free medical camp run by a charity, receives treatment at a hospital in Amritsar, India, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014.nonadultThose who didn't go blind have reported infections and some are being treated by doctors at a hospital in Amritsar on Friday.
Millions of poor people in India lack access to even basic health care and are forced to seek treatment at free medical clinics set up by charities and other organizations.
Thousands in India get free cataract surgeries every year, the <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/418ce1113509410cabe86945ccbde08a/11-go-blind-after-cataract-surgery-india">AP reported</a>.nonadultnonadultJust last month, 13 women died after botched sterilizations at a clinic in the central state of Chhattisgarh after allegedly taking tainted drugs. The doctor who performed the initial surgeries, R.K. Gupta, was arrested late November and charged with attempted culpable homicide and negligence, the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/doctor-arrested-after-botched-sterilization-at-india-camp-kills-13/2014/11/13/a50991d6-6b06-11e4-a31c-77759fc1eacc_story.html">Washington Post reported</a>.nonadultnonadultThe charity that organized the free surgeries was not immediately identified, but police officials told the AP that they had launched an investigation and at least one doctor in Gurdaspur had been detained.nonadultThis Boy Has Made A List Of Things To See Before He Goes Blindhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/declancashin/bens-wish-list?utm_term=4ldqpia
Ben Pierce, 9, has an eye disease that will take his sight completely in the coming years. Before then, he wants to see and do as much as he can in order to create a bank of memories.

However, Ben still has some sight, and so has started compiling a bucket list of things he wants to see and do before his sight goes completely.

]]>Declan Cashinhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/declancashin/bens-wish-listSun, 09 Nov 2014 12:16:07 -0500<b>Ben Pierce, 9, has an eye disease that will take his sight completely in the coming years.</b> Before then, he wants to see and do as much as he can in order to create a bank of memories.declancashinnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadult"One of his therapists explained that as he gets older it will be easier for him to describe things and interact with the sighted world if he has memories of things &ndash; like snow, she said, or the ocean or a mountain."nonadultBen with his parents, Heidi and Kit, and his brothers and sisters, at Harry Potter World in Universal Studios, Florida.nonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultShe said: "We've been able to make many wishes come true very quickly because of the outpouring of support. Going forward we&#39;ll keep working on Ben&#39;s wishes big and small, but we&#39;ll be doing it at a slower pace."nonadultAustralia is one of the places on Ben's wish list.nonadult"For example, he wants to try skiing this winter, but that's something he can continue doing throughout his life regardless of his vision changes."nonadultOr you can contact them at this mailing address:
Ben's Wish List
c/o Hobby-Q
PO Box 2107
Lake Dallas, TX 75065-2107nonadultTesco Told A Blind Woman To Leave The Store Because Of Her Guide Doghttp://www.buzzfeed.com/floperry/a-blind-woman-was-asked-to-leave-tesco-because-of-her-guide?utm_term=4ldqpia
The supermarket staff told her that “pets are not allowed”.

Staff told the 39-year-old that no pets were allowed in the store, and refused to accept otherwise even though the her dog Jemma, pictured below, was clearly wearing a high-visability harness.

]]>Keith Habersbergerhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/keithhabersberger/what-its-like-to-be-going-blindSat, 09 Aug 2014 05:31:03 -0400<b>Living with Macular Degeneration.</b>keithhabersbergernonadultA Woman Didn't Take Her Contacts Out For Six Months And An Amoeba Ate Her Eyeballshttp://www.buzzfeed.com/nicolasmedinamora/take-your-freaking-contacts-out
So, uh, you might want to take your contacts out.

Lian Kao, a Taiwanese undergraduate, lost her sight after an army of single-cell organisms devoured her eyeballs after she didn't take her contacts out for six months, the Daily Mailreports.

Yuji Kotani / Getty Images

Doctors said the 23-year-old had kept her contacts in at all times, even in the swimming pool.

Dimitri Otis / Getty Images

Not taking your contacts out apparently creates the perfect breeding ground for amoebas.

"Contact lens wearers are a high risk group that can easily be exposed to eye diseases," expert ophthalmologist Wu Jian-Liang told the Daily Mail. "A shortage of oxygen can destroy the surface of the epithelial tissue, creating tiny wounds into which the bacteria can easily infect, spreading to the rest of the eye and providing a perfect breeding ground."

You have been warned. Take your contacts out!

]]>Nicol&aacute;s Medina Morahttp://www.buzzfeed.com/nicolasmedinamora/take-your-freaking-contacts-outSun, 13 Jul 2014 15:08:41 -0400<b>So, uh, you might want to take your contacts out.</b>nicolasmedinamoranonadultCereal Taste Test: Name Brand Or Knockoff?http://www.buzzfeed.com/patchesrward/cereal-taste-test-name-brand-or-knockoff
Can you tell the difference? Be honest.

]]>Patrick Wardhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/patchesrward/cereal-taste-test-name-brand-or-knockoffMon, 30 Jun 2014 21:46:04 -0400<b>Can you tell the difference?</b> Be honest.patchesrwardnonadult9 Videos You Can't Miss This Weekhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/rsultan/9-videos-you-cant-miss-this-week-4-19-14
Featuring the dad who tried reasoning with his baby, an incredibly moving look at how the blind see beauty, and the most adorably annoying dog in the world.

Hello, Classical Music? This Is Twerking

How do you get younger listeners interested in classical music? For Belgium's B-Classic Music Festival, the answer was simple: Have Korean pop-dance group Waveya put a VERY modern spin on Dvořák. (2:57)

Dad Tries Reasoning With Baby

]]>Raymond Sultanhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/rsultan/9-videos-you-cant-miss-this-week-4-19-14Sat, 19 Apr 2014 19:31:03 -0400<b>Featuring the dad who tried reasoning with his baby, an incredibly moving look at how the blind see beauty, and the most adorably annoying dog in the world.</b>rsultannonadult<b>How do you get younger listeners interested in classical music?</b> For Belgium&#39;s <a href="http://classicalcomeback.com/about.php">B-Classic Music Festival</a>, the answer was simple: Have Korean pop-dance group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WaveyaDanceGroup">Waveya</a> put a VERY modern spin on Dvo&#x159;&aacute;k. (2:57)nonadultnonadult<b>You don&#39;t need words to argue.</b> Just ask the dad who tried talking things out with one very opinionated li&#39;l cutie. (1:10)nonadultnonadult<b>Look, it&#39;s one thing if you want to knit at the office.</b> But please let your coworkers wipe their own faces. (1:35)nonadultnonadult<b>19-year-old Nico Calabria was only born with one leg.</b> But as this wonderful short by Powerade shows, <a href="http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/it-only-takes-one-leg-to-score-a-goal">he never let that get in the way of his dreams.</a> (2:11)nonadultnonadult<b>Normally everyone just zones out during the pre-flight safety speech.</b> But this woman is much too funny for that. (3:06)nonadultnonadult<b>It took competitive eater <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MegatoadStonie">Matt Stonie</a> just over two minutes to blow his rivals away.</b> Skip ahead to 1:02 for all the sickly-sweet record-setting action. (3:59)nonadultnonadult<b>Is beauty only something you can see with your eyes?</b> We asked a group of blind people to describe what beauty means for them, and their answers might just change the way you look at the world. (2:30)nonadultnonadult<b>Ron the dog desperately wants attention.</b> And he won&#39;t stop bugging his pal Bernie until he gets it. (0:40)nonadultnonadult<b>We asked a group of moms to record messages to their daughters.</b> Prepare to be inspired, and possibly a little teary-eyed too. (2:10)nonadultnonadultnonadultThese Blind People's Descriptions Of Beauty Might Just Change The Way You Define The Wordhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/celestinomark/witnessing-how-the-blind-describe-beauty-might-change-the-wa
“I don’t care what nationality somebody is, I don’t care how tall somebody is, I don’t care how big or small they are. A person is beautiful because they are true to themselves.”

We invited members of the blind community to describe what beauty looks like to them. Their responses might change the way you see things.

Many people view beauty as something you see with your eyes, but when you can't see beauty, you have to feel it. Whether it's the beauty in simplicity...

Experience...

Or the ones you love, there's so much more out there than what we can see.

]]>Mark Celestinohttp://www.buzzfeed.com/celestinomark/witnessing-how-the-blind-describe-beauty-might-change-the-waSat, 19 Apr 2014 11:01:03 -0400<b>"I don&#39;t care what nationality somebody is, I don&#39;t care how tall somebody is, I don&#39;t care how big or small they are.</b> A person is beautiful because they are true to themselves."celestinomarknonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultnonadultThis Country Cover Of Kesha Is Totally Beautifulhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/realmikesmith/the-country-cover-of-keha-is-beautiful-and-affect-anrs
Alt-country starlet Lydia Loveless stripped Kesha’s “Blind” to the bare bones and rebuilt it with twangy swagger and rock ‘n’ roll balladry.

Here's Lydia's version...

And here's the original version by Kesha.

]]>BSHQhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/realmikesmith/the-country-cover-of-keha-is-beautiful-and-affect-anrsFri, 04 Apr 2014 19:16:03 -0400<b>Alt-country starlet <a href="http://lydialoveless.com/">Lydia Loveless</a> stripped Kesha&#39;s "Blind" to the bare bones and rebuilt it with twangy swagger and rock &#39;n&#39; roll balladry.</b>realmikesmithnonadultCheck Out This 1976 Braille Version Of Seventeen Magazinehttp://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/check-out-this-1976-braille-version-of-seventeen-magazine
A different way to read the scoop on The Fonz.

Here's a vintage copy of Seventeen's May 1976 issue — a Braille version.

Topics in this issue included "open air beauty" and premarital counseling.

Many Braille magazines were (and still are) free of charge.

]]>Leonora Epsteinhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/check-out-this-1976-braille-version-of-seventeen-magazineWed, 30 Oct 2013 17:45:06 -0400<b>A different way to read the scoop on The Fonz.</b>leonoraepsteinnonadultThe Oregon Zoo Invited Visually-Impaired Children To Touch A Sleeping Tigerhttp://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/the-oregon-zoo-invited-visually-impaired-children-to-touch-a
Don’t worry the tiger was anesthetized for a physical!

Nikki is 235-pound Siberian tiger that was having her physical last week.